Spring-hinge



' (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. LE DRU R. POMEROY.

SPRING HINGE. No. 504,403. Patented Sept. 5, 1893.

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. (No Model.)

LE D RU R. POMEROY; I SPRING HINGE.

N0. 504,403. Patented Sept. 5, 1893.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. V 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. LE URI] 1%. POMEROY.

I SPRING HINGE.

"No. 504,403. Patented S1ept.5,-1893 1 i x Invenof':

UNITED STAT-Es PATENT QFFI-GE- LE DRU ROLLIN POMEROY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE VAN WAGONER & WILLIAMS COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

SPRING-HINGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,403, dated September 5, 1893.

Application {fl d December 23, 1892. Serial No. 456,152. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-'

Be it known that 1, LE DRU ROLLIN PoM- EROY, of Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certa in new and useful Improvements in Spring- Hinges; and I do hereby declare that the following specification, taken in connection with the drawings furnished and forming a part of the same, is a clear, true, and completev description of my invention.

One of the objects of my invention, is the production of specially efficient and reliable spring hinges, of that general class of hinges, which can be applied to service either end upward, and either to right hand, or left hand doors. Such hinges render special selection wholly unnecessary, as well as enable the hinges to be readily mounted by unskilled persons, because however applied to a door and its frame, the hinges cannot fail to perform their functions, in supporting or carrying the Weight of doors independently of any form of spring, or spring frame, or spring arbor which may be interposed between the upper and lower pairs of hinge ears.

The main object of my invention, is to not only secure the said recited advantages, but-- also to enable any of the manykindsof springs to be employed, as Well as to secure substantial economy in the production of the hinge parts, and also in their assemblage.

Hinges embodying my invention, have leaves composed of cast metal, and in their best form, I have so devised them, that both are exactly alike, and being counterparts, but one pattern is required for'molding. Each leaf has on one car an integral pintle provided with a head affording a laterally projecting bearing surface, and the other ear has a spring centering hub, and a slotted or open pintle eye, and such leaves can be readily molded and cast in sand, and without the use of cores. Two such leaves can be promptly assembled by merely interlocking them, and then the two pintles will extend inwardly or toward each other, and the two spring centering hubs will also extend toward each other, and their ends will be in rotative contact with the laterally projecting bearing surfaces on the heads of their appropriate pintles, sothat when in use with a door in a certain manner, the weight of the door will be vertically supported by the heads of the pintles.

The described organization in a spring hinge, of hinge leaves having a pair of cars, one of which has thereon aheaded pintle, affording on its head alateral bearing surface, and the other has an open or slotted pintle eye which rotatively engages with the pintle between itshead and the car on which itis carried, and is also in rotative supporting contact with the lateral bearing surface on said pintle head, constitutes a feature of my invention, whether one or two of such pairs of ears be employed in the hinge, and whether the pintles extend outwardly orinwardly, and regardless of the form of spring employed, or the manner of its organization with the hinge leaves. Another feature of my invention, includes the organization in a spring hinge, of an car having a headed pintle, and another ear hav- I will refer to the accompanying drawings,in

whioh- Figure 1, illustrates one of my hinges, in one of the most approved forms, having a spiral spring, and applied to a right hand door and its frame, and with the door supported by the heads of the two hinge pintles. Fig. 2, illustrates the hinge leaves, detached from the door, but without the spring, and in rear view. Fig. 3, illustrates the same, in

front, and end view. Fig. 4, illustrates one,

of the counterpart hinge leaves in front view, two end views, and an end view of the supporting head of the hinge pintle. Figs. 5 and 6, illustrate in front and rear views, a hinge (without its spring), embodying but one of my supporting pintles, and but one open pintle my invention, but modified for use with a pintle.

sheet metal bow spring. Fig. 12, illustrates in front and end views, one of the leaves of the hinge, Fig. 10, the counterpart of said leaf being shown in dotted lines, and in its coop-- erative position.

I will first describe the hinge illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

Referring to Fig. 1,it will be seen, thatithe hinge A, is applied to the door 13, and door frame 0, in sucha manner, that in opening the door from the outside, it will swing toward the right hand, and it is to be understood that when thus mounted, the weight of thedoor is supported upon the supporting heads of the two hinge pintles, and although this may not be readily apparent from an inspection of this figure, it will hereinafter be clearly indicated. thatif this hinge had been reversed,end for end, the door would be still supported in the samemanner. If however the hinge should have been mounted, either end upward, at the'opposite edge of the door, so thatthe latter when opened from the outsidewould have swungtoward the left hand, the door would have been supported, upon the two hinge earsof the leaf then secured to the door frame 0.; This hinge A,as a whole, comprises three pieces, of which thespring a, isone, its ter-' minals having appropriate bearing scatson the two hinge leaves, as at a, a. The two hinge leaves I), and b, are counterparts in every.

is the pintle ear, carrying the integral pintle 1 e, which has a head 6, affording around the pintle shank, a lateral projecting annular bearing surface, as at 6 at right angles to-the The ear d, is the pintle eye ear, this having an open or slotted pintle eye (1, and on its inner side, ithas a lateral bearing surface at 61 located at the end ofahub portion d of the ear, said hub being annular, except as to the slot or opening into the eye. This portion d is a' spring centering hub, ,which the interior of the spring a, so that said head 6, serves as'an lnterior guiding support for Figs. 10 and 11, illustrate in front It will be also understood,

the spring, when the two leaves are coupled. The slot or opening of each eye 01, enables the two leaves to be readily interlocked when the leaves are held at appropriate angles with relation to each other, and after being united they are secured against separation, in all other positions, by lateral contact of coincident portions of the ears.

As seen in the end view of Fig. 3, the pintle ear 0, has at its outer end, a short convex surface at a, concentric with the pintle; and the ear (1, has a corresponding concave surface. These surfaces by their abutment, afford a locking joint, when both leaves occupy one plane, and also during the opening movement of the hinge, until the interlocking or unlocking position has been reached, and then after passing said position, the leaves cannot be separated, because of the abutment of an opposite outer portion of each ear (1, against a coincident surface of the other ear 0.

Referring now to Fig. 3, it will be seen, that if the hinge should be held upright, as by grasping the left hand leaf, the righthand leaf will be supported vertically by the hearing contacts between the coincident surfaces of the two pairs of ears 0, and cl, and that the pintles will then perform their ordinary function, as mere hinge pintles, so that the weight of the right hand leaf, with thatof a door, if the hinge was mounted, would be borne by the two cars of the left hand leaf, and it is obvious that these conditions would not be changed by reversing thehinge, end for end, and remounting it onithe door and frame. If now the right hand leaf be grasped, and the left hand leafallowed to swing as with-a door,

it will be seen that the weight of the door would be carried by. the heads 6, ,e, of both pintles, the vertical support being then borne at the two pairs of lateral bearing contacts jatd e above, and at e (1 below, and that these same conditions would remain, even if the hinge should be reversed, end for end and 'remounted on the door and frame. It will of ,coursebe understood, that'the door supporting function referred to, isthe vertical or embody two of the headed pintles in a hinge as hereinbefore indicated, 1 do not preclude myself from securing such advantages, as will accrue from the use of one of those pintles, at

onlyone pair of binge ears, regardless ofthe manner in which the other pair ofears are, or may be coupled; as, for instance, as illustratedin Figs. 5, to 8 inclusive. A, has apintle ear 0, pintle 6, with its head e, and laterally projecting bearing surface 6 Itwill also be This hinge IIO ' as in the hinge A, Figs; 1 to 4.

as in the hinge of Figs. 1 to 4,'inclusive. 'The pintle eye ear d, has the spring centering hub d and a lateral bearing surface d coincident with the bearing surface e on the pintle head, as in the hinge Fig. 1, but this slotted pintle eye 61, opens from the front, instead of from the rear, although this variation is immaterial. These leaves f, and g, are, however, not counterparts, the two pairs of ears being quite unlike. The leaf f, which has on its ear 0, the pintle c has another ear h, provided on its inner side with a hub c (which occupies the interior of the spring a), and on its outer side, a short pintle t', which occupies a pintle eye or socket 7c, in the ear k, of the leaf g, said eye or socket involving the use of a core incasting, and this, in view of the dissimilarity of the two leaves, pre

eludes the degree of economy in manufacture which accrues from casting counterparts, but i in facility in assembling, this hinge compares favorably with the other. With this hinge A, mounted either end upward on a door and frame, as in Fig. 1, the weight of the door would be borne by the ears (1 and it, but if the hinge either end upward should be applied to the other edge of the door, the weight of the latter would be borne by the head a, of the one pintle e. In other words, whenever the right hand leaf of this.hinge,"(either end up) is applied to a door, the latter will be supported by the head 6 of the pintle e,

and whenever the left hand leaf (either end up) is applied to a door, the latter will be supported by direct contact of the coincident bearing surfaces at both pairs of cars.

For producing specially strong but light spring hinges, the matter of economy in manufacture is of course correspondingly subordinated, either in the matter of construction of parts, or assemblage, or in both; as for instance, when strong inserted hinge pintles composed of ductile metal, are employed, while still securing some of thesubstantial advantages accruing from portions of my invention. e

In the hinge A Fig. 9, the leaves Z, and m, are cast metal counterparts, each having an ear d, with an open or slotted eye at, a spring centering hub (1 and its bearing surface 01 The other ear 'n, of each leaf, is however unlike the ears 0, of the hinge A, in that this car has no integral pintle, and said ear may be cast solid, and thereafter bored for receiving a pintle, or the required pintle socket or hole may be afforded in the mold, while casting by the use of a core. This pintle p, is separately constructed, and is composed of ductile metal, capable of being riveted, but it has, like the other pintles e, a large annular head 6', affording the same laterally projecting annular bearing surface 6 for engagement with the bearing surface (55 at the end of the spring centering hub 61 on the slotted eye ear d. An ornamental tip 10, serves also as a foundation or washer between the riveted outer end 19, of the pintle, and

the coincident surface of the hinge ear n, on which it is mounted. This pintle is integral with its head 6', as when cast malleable iron is used, and the same kind of iron or other strong metal should be used in the ornamental tips 19 the holes in the latter being tapered and large at their outer ends, so that the riveting of the pintle can be Well eifected,

without having its end unduly protruded.

After the headed pintles have been united to their appropriate ears, the assembling of the leaves and the spring, is proceeded with, as in the case of the hinge Figs. 1 to 4, the open pintle eyes interlocking with their pintles, as

in that hinge.- It will be seen, that in this hinge A the two pintle heads are organized for door supporting duty, only when the left hand leaf is applied to a door, with the hinge either end up, as with the hinge Fig; 1, and

that the annular heads 6', of the pintles, oc-

cupy the interior of the spring a,'and afford the same internal guiding support. This hinge A obviously embodies those portions of my invention, which include the organization in a spring hinge, of a hinge ear, having a headed pintle, with a co operating hinge ear,

having not only an open or slotted pintle eye,

but also a spring centering hub, projecting toward the head of the pintle, and having rotative contact, with the pintle shank, and a. rotative supporting contact, with the lateral bearing surface on the head of the pintle.

As hereinbefore indicated, the springs e1nployed maybe varied,both in their character, and in their mode of organization with the leaves, without departure from certain portions of my invention; as, for instance, as illustrated in Figs. 10-- 11 and 12, the hinge A is shown to be provided with a sheet metal bow spring a Although in some forms of my hinge, it is specially important, that the hinge pintles should extend inwardly, this feature is not employed in the embodiment of a portion of my invention in this hinge A These hinge leaves, have pintles e, which are integral with their ears 0, and project outwardly therefrom. The pintle eye ears d,in this instance are not provided with spring centering hubs, but the pintles have heads 6', each of which affords a lateral projecting bearing or supporting surface at 6 coincident with the bearing surface (1 of the ear d, around its slotted or open eye d as clearlyindicated in Fig. 12. This form of spring, requires extensive contact with its spring seats, and however these latter may be afforded, it will in no manner involve a departure from such portions of my invention,

as are independent of any special form of spring.

The importance of relieving the sheet metal spring from longitudinal compression, (2'. e., in line with the hinge axis,) is as great as with the spiral spring, but in both cases, this relief is absolutely assured, and by precisely the same means as in the hinge, Fig. 1. These leaves q, q, being counterparts, can be as read ily cast and assembled, as those having inwardly projecting pintles, and this hinge A embodies that portion of my invention, which includes the organization in aspring hinge of one hinge ear carrying a headed pintle, and a cooperating hinge ear which has an open or slotted pintle eye, and which is not only in rotative contact with the pintle between its head and the adjacent surface of its ear, but is also in rotative supporting contact with the laterally projecting bearing surface, on the head of the pintle, it being obvious, that said feature may or maynot be embodied with the counterpart feature.

Although still other hinges involving other variations in construction and organization might have been shown and described, it is believed that ample disclosures have beeni made to enable persons skilled in the art to widely apply my improvements, without any substantial departures from my invention; as an instance, I will refer to highly efiicientl water closet hinges, with leaves in either of the forms shown, but with the spiral spring;

arranged so as to be reversely operative, for throwing the leaves forwardly instead of rear-j wardly.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 1. The combination substantiallyas hereinbefore described, with a suitable spr1ng,of hinge leaves having projecting ears, and a headed hinge pintle, afiording alat-erally projecting bearing surface, and also an open or slotted pintle eye, in rotative contact with the shank of said pintle between its head and the ear on which said pintle is carried, and also in rotative supporting contact with the lateral surface on the head of said pintle.

2. The combination substantially as hereinbefore described, with a suitable spring, of hinge leaves having projecting ears, and an inwardly projecting headed pintle, and also an open or slotted pintle eye ear having a spring centering stud projecting toward the head of the pintle and inrotative supporting contact with a laterally projecting bearing surface on said pintle head.

3. The combination substantially as herein before described, of a spiral spring, a pair of counter-part hinge leaves, each having an inwardly projecting headed'pintle,and an'open slotted pintle eye within an inwardly projecting spring centering stud, said eye andstud being not only in rotative contact with the shank of'the pintle, but also in rotative supporting contact with a'lateral projecting bearing surface on the head of the pintle, and

1 with both centering studs, and the heads of both pintles locatedwithin thespring.

LE DRU ROLLIN POMEROY.

Witnesses:

OTTO Von TUSKY, F. A. BRODHEAD, Jr. 

